Four months are gone in 2003.

April ended with another 179 building permits issued by the city in April for an estimated $2,466,505.

That pushed the first quarter city building totals to 594 permits and an estimated construction value of $7,655,973.

Seven new permits were issued last month for commercial addition, alteration and repair projects. The total estimated construction value was $401,000.

The Joseph Company accounted for three of them for projects at Austin Medical Center-Mayo Health System totaling an estimated $352,000 at the clinic.

A year ago at this time, there were 21 commercial addition, alteration and repair project permits for an estimated $1,713,600 in value.

Nineteen new residential addition, alteration and repair permits were issued in April for an estimated $244,780 value.

A year ago, permits for residential repair projects numbered 68 and totaled $496,380 in value.

Ten new housing starts were noted.

The permits total an estimated $1,197,000 in value.

A year ago, the first quarter totals were 19 new housing starts in Austin for a $2,466,000 estimated total value.

There were also 12 new siding and eight window replacement projects permitted in April.

Twenty-one new heating permits were issued in April for an estimated $199,730.

First quarter heating permits now number 142 for an estimated value of $705,182, according to city records.

Meanwhile, 38 new plumbing permits were issued in April for an estimated $89,729 in projects.

The year-to-date plumbing permit totals are 119 and an estimated $485,855.

Oddly enough in April, there were 25 permits issued for residential fencing for an estimated $22,229 value.